Aging Substantially Ups Risk for Needing Help With Money, Meds

TUESDAY, May 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Many seniors over age 85 need help with finances and/or managing their medications, according to research published online April 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Nienke Bleijenberg, R.N., Ph.D., from the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, and colleagues reviewed data from a nationally representative U.S. study. The researchers included 9,434 participants aged 65 or older in the study. None needed help managing medications or money at the start of the study. Follow-ups were done every two years for 10 years.

The researchers found that between ages 65 and 69, 10.3 percent of seniors needed help managing medications, and 23.1 percent needed help managing finances. By the time they were over 85, these rates rose to 38.2 and 69.0 percent, respectively.

"This study highlights the importance of preparing older adults for the likelihood they will need assistance with managing their medicines and finances as the risk for having difficulty with these activities over time is substantial," the authors write.